1.
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying,
spake. See note on Leviticus 5:14 .
2.
When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or a bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:
the plague = spot: mark too weak for person, though suited for house (Leviticus 14:34 ): "plague" and "stroke"would be too strong in every case.
leprosy. Hebrew. zar'ath, from zar'a , to strike down, a leper being one stricken of God. One of the four points which Christ endorses Leviticus as being written by Moses: 1. Circumcision, Leviticus 12:3 (John 7:22 , John 7:23 ). 2. Law of leper, Leviticus 14:3-32 (Matthew 8:4 ). 3. The shewbread. Leviticus 24:5-9 (Matthew 12:4 ). . Death penalty for cursing parents, Leviticus 20:9 (Mark 7:10 ).
Leprosy is the type of what man is by nature. (All the offerings relate to what man has done or not done.) It has reference to the evil "in" him (Leviticus 13:2 , Leviticus 13:9 ), not to the outcome of it. See note on Leviticus 13:45 .
3.
And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.
pronounce. Hebrew "shall make him". Figure of speech Metonymy (of Subject) = pronounce or declare him to be. App-6 . Compare Ezekiel 43:3 , &c.
4.
If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days:
plague = plagued person. Hebrew "shut up the plague". Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct). App-6 . The meaning is supplied in italics.
5.
And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague in his sight be at a stay, and the plague spread not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more:
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. ( App-6 .)
his sight = its appearance.
6.
And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague be somewhat dark, and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
spread. This is the criterion here for persons, as for houses and garments (Compare Leviticus 13:55 , &c. 14, 44, 48). This is the criterion for our judgment of the antitype "sin" our old nature, to which our attention is called by the Figure of speech Asterismos, "Behold" (see App-6 ).
7.
But if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest again:
8.
And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy.
9.
When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest;
10.
And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the rising be white in the skin, and it have turned the hair white, and there be quick raw flesh in the rising;
white. See note on Leviticus 13:30 .
quick = living.
11.
It is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not shut him up: for he is unclean.
shall not: or, need not.
is: i.e. is undoubtedly, no farther proof being needed.
12.
And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh;
13.
Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.
break out abroad = cometh quite out. Type of the sinner confessing his totality of evil then he is clean, 1 John 1:9 , 1 John 1:10 .
14.
But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.
when. Hebrew "in the day", same as Genesis 2:17 ; see App-18 .
15.
And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy.
is = it [is].
16.
Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest;
17.
And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the plague be turned into white; then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: he is clean.
18.
The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed,
19.
And in the place of the boil there be a white rising, or a bright spot, white, and somewhat reddish, and it be shewed to the priest;
20.
And if, when the priest seeth it, behold, it be in sight lower than the skin, and the hair thereof be turned white; the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague of leprosy broken out of the boil.
21.
But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hairs therein, and if it be not lower than the skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:
be = it [be]. somewhat
dark = faint.
22.
And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague.
23.
But if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not, it is a burning boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
24.
Or if there be any flesh, in the skin whereof there is a hot burning, and the quick flesh that burneth have a white bright spot, somewhat reddish, or white;
25.
Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white, and it be in sight deeper than the skin; it is a leprosy broken out of the burning: wherefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.
26.
But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hair in the bright spot, and it be no lower than the other skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:
27.
And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: and if it be spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.
28.
And if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not in the skin, but it be somewhat dark; it is a rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean: for it is an inflammation of the burning.
29.
If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard;
plague: better, "spot". See note on Leviticus 13:2 .
30.
Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard.
thin = short. An infallible sign of leprosy. A long hair, even though "yellow", no sign. In other parts of the body the hairs would be short and white. Compare Leviticus 13:10 .
scall = scab.
even = it [is].
31.
And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, it be not in sight deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days:
32.
And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and, behold, if the scall spread not, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the scall be not in sight deeper than the skin;
33.
He shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more:
34.
And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall: and, behold, if the scall be not spread in the skin, nor be in sight deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
35.
But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing;
36.
Then the priest shall look on him: and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair; he is unclean.
37.
But if the scall be in his sight at a stay, and that there is black hair grown up therein; the scall is healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
38.
If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots;
39.
Then the priest shall look: and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be darkish white; it is a freckled spot that groweth in the skin; he is clean.
darkish white = faintish, or dead white; a harmless eruption, or "tetter".
40.
And the man whose hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean.
41.
And he that hath his hair fallen off from the part of his head toward his face, he is forehead bald: yet is he clean.
42.
And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead.
43.
Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh;
44.
He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head.
45.
And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
rent. See note on Leviticus 10:6 .
covering = muffler.
'Unclean, unclean. '
Figure of speech Epizeuxis, App-6 , to emphasize the condition. Leprosy is the great type of sin: and teaches that the sinner is not only lost and ruined on account of what he has done, but on account of what he i s. The former needed atonement to procure judicial righteousness, but the latter requires a Divine act and cleansing to give him an imputed righteousness. The former we have through Christ's atonement, the latter we have from God in Christ. It is not enough to confess what we "have done "or "left undone"; there must be also the confession "there is no health in us". Compare Isaiah 6:5 .Job 40:4 ; Job 42:6 . Psalms 51:6 . Luke 5:8 , &c.
46.
All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.
without the camp. Numbers 5:2 ; Numbers 12:10-15 .
47.
The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment;
garment. Type of habits and ways seen by others. Compare Jude 1:23 .
48.
Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin;
warp. A. S. wearpen, to cast or throw = the longitudinal lines in the loom, through which the shuttle passes. Hebrew. shathah, to drink in. So called because of its drinking in the thread thrown by the shuttle.
woof. A. S. to weave in. Heb 'drab, to intermingle. Hence used of what is mingled or woven in by the shuttle.
49.
And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be shewed unto the priest:
50.
And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days:
51.
And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean.
fretting = rankling, only of what is malignant: occurs only here, Leviticus 13:52 ; Leviticus 14:14 , and Ezekiel 28:24 .
52.
He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.
53.
And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin;
burnt. Hebrew. saraph. App-43 .
54.
Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more:
55.
And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his colour, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is fret inward, whether it be bare within or without.
56.
And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof:
colour = appearance. Hebrew eye. Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 : eye put for appearance.
57.
And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire.
58.
And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean.
59.
This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.